TOKYO – A total of six Olympic softball games and one Olympic baseball game will be staged at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium as part of baseball and softball’s historic return to the Olympic Games at Tokyo 2020. The region has been undergoing a continued regeneration following the destructive 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) welcomed the latest Tokyo 2020 Fukushima proposal to boost games in Fukushima to a total of seven games, which was endorsed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today. The agreement keeps the total number of baseball games in Fukushima to one game.

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said: “As the biggest sport in Japan, we have a great sense of duty and honour to utilise baseball and softball as a vehicle and symbol of Fukushima’s rebirth, and in this regard, there can be no better stage than the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to spotlight the region’s regeneration to the world. And that’s why WBSC is delighted to partner with Tokyo 2020 and the IOC to stage seven total games — including six softball games and one baseball game — in Fukushima.”

Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium was officially added as a Tokyo 2020 venue in March 2017, with Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori having said: “By hosting Olympic baseball and softball events, Fukushima will have a great platform to show the world the extent of its recovery in the 10 years since the disaster.”

WBSC, Tokyo 2020 organisers and the IOC will continue to work on defining the full Olympic baseball/softball competition schedule.